Switch-operating mechanism.



E. CARRAU. SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION IILED PEB.9, 1912.

Patented May 27, 1913.

1 ll T Z0 I VL/itnesse W lnventor Q 7 by Attorney.;

rnvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD GARRAU, 0F CATHLAMET, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-THIRD T0 JOSEPH GIRARD AND ONE-THIRD TO PACIFICCADEAU, BOTH OF CATHLAMET, WASHINGTON.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed February 9, 1912. Serial No. 676,576.

T5 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD CARRAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cathlamet, in the county of Wahkiakum and State ofWashington, have invented a new and useful SWitch-Operating Mecha-'nism, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to switch operating mechanism especially designedfor use in connection with point switches and the like, one of itsobjects being to provide simple and durable mechanism of this characteradapted to be actuated by means carried by a car approaching the switchfrom any direction.

A further object is to provide switch operating mechanism which operatesto lock the switch in any position to which it'mayf be shifted so thatit becomes impossible to open or close the switch without actuating themechanism provided for that purpose.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the com-; bination andarrangement of parts and inl the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of? the invention herein disclosed can be made; within thescope of what is claimed, with-: out departing from the spirit of theinvention. 5 In the accompanying drawings the preferred form ofthe-invention has been shown.;

In said.drawings:Figure 1 is a plan view of the mechanism and the switchcom-1 bined therewith, said switch being shown in one of its positions.Fig. 2 is. a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the switch in its otherposition. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the switchoperating mechanism and of the equalizer. Fig. A is an enlarged sectionon line AB Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is'a front elevation of a portion of a car.structure and showing the means employed for shifting the switchmechanism.

Referring to the figuresby characters of reference C and C designate themain line rails and D and D designate the siding rails while the switchtongues have been indicated at E and E respectively. A bar 1 isconnected to the tongues E and E close to the points thereof and isslidably mounted- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27,1913.

under the rails C and C. This bar is provided, adjacent its ends, withupstanding rollers 2 projecting into diagonally disposed slots 3 formedin shifting plates 4. The slots 3 in the two plates converge toward theswitch. tongues and are so disposed relative to the bar 1 that one ofthe rollers 2 normally bears against one end of one of the slots 3 whilethe other roller 2 normally bears against the opposed end of the otherslot. Arms 5 and 6 extend in opposite directions from each plate, thearms 6 being pivotally connectedto the slotted ends 7 of rails C and Cand is pivotally mounted, at

its center, as shown at 9. Arms 6 are also pivotally connected to rods10 which extend parallel with the rails C and C and away from thetongues E and E, rods 10 being provided, at its free end, with a fork11, the said forks being located at points remote from the switchtongues.

Shafts 12 are journaled underthe rails C and C and'each shaft has anupstanding arm 13 which projects through one of the forks 11 and to apoint above the fork. A spring 14 is interposed between and secured toeach arm 13 and one of the ties F and serves to hold the arm 13 normallyvertical. This spring will be elongated when arm'13 is swung in onedirection away from vertical position and will be compressedwhen saidarm isswung in the opposite direction away from vertical position. Thearm 5 at oneiside of the track is extended parallel with the rail Dwhile the arm 5 at the other side of'the track is extended parallel withthe rail C. Both arms are mounted in guides 15 and each arm is provided,atits free end, with a fork 16 through which projects an arm 17extending from a shaft 18. One of these shafts ex tends under the railsof the siding while the other shaft extends under the rails of the mainline. A rack bar 19 may be formed on. or secured to one of the arms 5and is engaged by a segmental gear 20 adapted to be actuated by meansof. a lever 21. A

an equalizer bar 8 which extends under the each of these signal lamp 22or the likemay'be mounted on the gear 20 so as to rotate therewith.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for actuating the switchmechanism from the car approaching the switch. In Fig. 5

a car structure has been indicated at G andv a rod 23 extendstransversely of and is adapted to slide upon the structure. Arms 24:extend downwardly from the ends of this rod and beyond the sides of thecar, each arm terminating in a tripping head 25 adapted to move againstone of the arms 13 or 17. A lever 26 may be employed for shifting rod 23and any suitable means may be provided for locking the lever againstmovement. The parts are so proportioned that when the lever is shiftedin one direction one of the heads 25 will be brought into position tomove against one of the upstandin arms 13 or 17 while the other head 25will be shifted out of operative position. When the lever is moved toanother position the parts will be moved, so as to bring the head, whichwas formerly out of operative position, into position to actuate one ofthe arms of the switch mechanism. Should the parts of the switch bepositioned as illustrated in Fig. 1 and it should be desired to open theswitch, the mechanism on the car Gr approaching the switch is shifted soas to bring one of the heads 25 into position to strike the arm 13 atthe left of the car approaching the switch. As head 25 moves againstthis arm 13, it swings the arm forwardly toward the switch and againstthe inner end of the fork 11, thus transmitting motion through rod 10 tothe arm 6 and causing the slotted plate 4 to shift transversely of thebar 1. As slot 3 is arranged diagonally, it is apparent that one of thewalls of the slot will move against the roller 2 within said slot andcause the roller to shift, thereby moving the bar 1 longitudinally andshifting the switch tongues E and E so as to open the siding. Duringthis actuation of the plate 4 at the left side of the track theequalizer 8 is shifted by the arm 6 so as to move the arm 6 and plate 4at the other side of the track. The two plates 4; thus actsimultaneously to shift the bar 1 and it will be apparent that, upon thecompletion of this shifting movement, the rollers 2 occupy positionsagainst opposed ends of the respective slots so that it is impossiblefor the bar 1 and theswitch tongues to shift out of the positions towhich they have been moved unless the operating mechanism is alsoshifted. By arranging shafts 12 and 18 at opposite sides of the switchit will be seen that the switch tongues can be shifted by the mechanismon a car approaching the switch in either direct-ion along the main lineor along the siding.

By means of the lever 21 the switch mechanism can be actuated manuallyand the lamp or other signal device 22 can be used to indicate theposition of the switch tongues.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a movable switch member, anda cross bar movable therewith, of projecting elements upon the endportions .of the bar, shifting plates having diagonally disposed slotsin which said elements are mounted, and means for simultaneouslyshifting the plates in opposite directions to move the barlongitudinally in either direction, the walls of the slots and theprojections cooperating to hold the bar and switch tongue againstmovement independently of the plates.

2. The combination with a movable switch tongue, of a bar shiftabletherewith, upstanding projections upon the end portions of the bar,members having diagonally disposed bearing faces engaging theprojections, means for actuating one of the members, means fortransmitting motion from said member to the other member, the twomembers operating simultaneously to shift the bar and switch tongue ineither of two directions, said members cooperating to hold the tongueand bar against movement independently of the members.

3. The combination with a shiftable switch tongue, of a bar movabletherewith, upstanding projections upon the bar, members havingdiagonally disposed portions engaging the projections, means for causingthe members to move in opposite directions simultaneously to engage theprojections and to shift the bar and tongue in either of two directions,and separately movable revoluble elements for actuating either of saidmembers.

t. The -combination with a shiftable switch tongue, of a bar movabletherewith, upstanding projections upon the bar, members havingdiagonally disposed port-ions engaging the projections, means forcausing the members to move in opposite directions simultaneously toengage the projections and to shift the bar and tongue in either of twodirections, separately movable revoluble elements for actuating eitherof said members, and car supported means for actuating either of saidelements.

5. The combination with a switch tongue, of projecting elements movabletherewith, members having obliquely disposed portions engaging saidelements, means for causing the members to move simultaneously inopposite directions respectively to shift the tongue in either of twodirect-ions, separately revoluble devices connected to the respectivemembers, yielding means for holding said devices normally inpredetermined positions irrespective of the movement of said members,and means for rotating either of said devices to shift the members.

6. The combination with a switch tongue, of members adjacent oppositesides thereof, means for causing the members to move simultaneously inopposite directions respec tively, means cooperating with said membersand shiftable thereby to move the tongue in either of two directions,separately revoluble elements, and means for transmitting motion fromsaid elements to the respective members.

7. The combination with a switch tongue, of members adjacent oppositesides thereof, means for causing the members to move simultaneously inopposite directions respectively, means cooperating with said membersand shiftable thereby to move the tongue in either of two directions,separately revoluble elements, means for transmitting motion from saidelements to the respective members, yielding means for holding each ofsaid elements normally in a predetermined position, and car supportedmeans for actuating either of said elements.

8. The combination with a switch tongue, of members adjacent oppositesides thereof and having diagonally disposed working portions, meanscooperating with said portions for shifting the tongue in either of twodirections, means for causing the members to move simultaneously inopposite directions respectively to shift the tongue, said members andthe means cooperating therewith constituting a lock to prevent thetongue from moving independently of the actuating means, and means forshifting the members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD GARRAU.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. HUGHES, JOHN G. BAILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

